Our Fitness Blog

The Difference Between a NEED and a CHOICE….

“I need to lose 10 lbs.” “I need to eat healthier.” “I need to start exercising!” “I need to get in that dress!” YIKES!...” I need to crawl in a hole and escape from all the pressure I am putting on myself!!!!!!!”

Ok, brutal honesty time…Women are WAY, WAY too hard on themselves. It’s the truth. We obsess over centimeters added to our thighs, hairs out of place, perfect skin, etc…. all while we juggle kiddos, The Hubs, careers and laundry. So, to put another NEED on ourselves, such as eating right and working out, can easily become last on the list of “needs” and not get accomplished.

Can a need become a choice? Such a small word actually denotes quite a large mental shift in attitude and can make a big difference. In order to shift your mentality to this state there’s just a 2 simple steps and they are mental steps.

First, we want to flip our vocabulary as above over to the positive side of the goal. I WANT to exercise more and I WANT to eat right. It matters. Do it this way.

Next, we need a WHY. Well, there are really only two reasons to exercise and eat right….LOOK better and FEEL better.

Picture yourself AFTER an entire day of eating healthy and right as you’re crawling into bed, proud of yourself. You feel light and satisfied. Not sluggish and bloated.

Imagine intensely how satisfied and fit you feel after having lived a day this way! Put yourself in a state of thinking about the energy and health you gain from having made any healthier lifestyle change.

OK, SCIENCE LESSON TIME!!!! - This mental “trick” is fast forwarding past the act itself and going straight to engaging your emotions with the future results, thereby making the same neurons fire in your brain that would if you really had already done the act itself. This type of mental exercise will magnetize your goal to fruition faster than just positive thinking alone….because the mind responds better to PICTURES than words. This type of science was used on certain Olympic athletes in the 80’s and it was called “Visual Motor Rehearsal”. When athletes were asked to mentally run their event in their mind ONLY, the same neurons in their brains fired as if they really were physically doing their Olympic event. The brain is a fascinating thing! This study was done by Denis Waitley and his website is here if you want more info on how this works! http://www.mindperk.com/denis-waitley-biography/

Along these lines, I have a favorite practice at the end of the day….

making my last thoughts the best thoughts of the day.

Go back through your day and ask yourself, “What was the best thing that happened today?” This forces your mind to sort through the numerous things you have to be thankful for.

Sometimes, you'll say, “Actually, NOTHING good happened today!” (when you’ve had a rotten day.) But, guess what? No matter how bad your day was, there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for!

Let me prove it please:

Did you have a hot shower this morning or did you have to shower in the hose outside? Do you have shoes or did you walk to work barefoot? Did you eat today or did you beg for your food? Did you sleep in a bed under a roof or did you sleep outdoors in the rain?

If you’re reading this, then I am sure of those things are true for you. Most of us live a life full of daily conveniences that some people in other places are daily praying to have. That being said, it makes finding something to be grateful for a no-brainer.

Practicing gratitude for your fit, toned, healthy body is the same practice! Go to the future in your mind and be grateful for images of yourself the perfect size you wish it to be and FEEL how good you would feel if you were already living in that body! You would walk differently, dress differently, shop differently and have a different feeling about yourself, wouldn’t you?Imagine that and yes, it brings you that much closer to becoming that person. It’s a pretty simple exercise in and of itself, however the key is really feeling the emotions associated with achieving your goals!

So, if you’ve been “NEEDING” to get your life healthier, there’s no better place to start than 9Round Fitness.

Our clients are about 60% women in every one of our 9Round clubs across the country, so first off, you can feel comfortable here! We really want you to know that you CAN DO THIS! We aren’t intimidating in our approach to fitness. We really hold your hand, walk you through it, and take it at your pace. We are also going to go right ahead and sign you up for 9Round Nutrition guidance online as well. This takes all the guess work out of fitness, toning and losing weight, eating right and feeling great! We are here to support you physically and I dare to say, emotionally.

We really are in the people business. We love helping people and hope that if you’re ready to get fit, you’ll give us a try!

Heather Hudson has been with 9Round since inception in 2008 and is COO and Co-Founder of 9Round Franchising. She is a black belt in Shotokan Karate and grew up with a passion for fitness and overall wellness.